1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a communications terminal device provided with a function for transmitting original document image data by electronic mail (e-mail).
2. Background Art
Recent years have seen the spread of computer communications networks, which deliver electronic mail by the Internet, or the like, wherein local computer communications nets are connected via communications lines and then developed further into networks. Computer communications networks provide excellent error-correction functions, and by simply paying a communications charge to the end-provider (company connecting to the computer communications network), it is possible to communicate with computers not only domestically, but also overseas.
Since the communications procedures and communications systems in conventional G3 facsimile devices differ from those in computer communications networks, the G3 facsimile devices cannot be connected directly to these networks. However, even if the image data is in the form of an original document for transmission, or the like, it is possible to transmit the image data to a desired destination through a computer communications network by converting the image data to an electronic mail format.
Incidentally, as a method of accessing the Internet, besides taking a contract with a provider, it is also possible to use a connection service provided by a commercial BBS for PC communications. Of these commercial BBS, some impose restrictions on the amount of data, number of lines, etc. of text data which can be handled by a single mailing. This is in order to avoid the occurrence of problems, such as communication line congestion, caused by transferring a large volume of data to the Internet in one operation.
In the case of transmission of facsimile image data which generally involves a large data volume, the data volume on a single page of original document may exceed the limit for one mailing. Since mail containing a data volume exceeding the limit will be refused for transmission by a commercial BBS, it is often impossible to send facsimile image data by electronic mail.
Japanese Patent Application, Laid-Open Publication No. 8-314821 discloses a high speed data transmission method which divides a single file into a plurality of segments before transmission, sends these segments to a destination through a plurality of communications lines, and combines the segments to a single file on the receiving side. However, this method requires a plurality of communications lines extending between the data sending machine and the data receiving machine.